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Sahra'a
Sahra'a is a largely desertified region, conquered by Guilder early in the fifth century, after their exploration parties into the region had been killed and eaten by the local Afreet goblins. Geography The terrain of the Sahra'a is generally lifeless and inhospitable simply traveling from one village to another is a project with a high mortality rate for any who come unprepared. One significant feature of the Sahra'a that can be noticed from several miles away is The Great Dune in which the half buried Gnashmaul ruins, named for its current inhabitants, the Gnashmaul tribe. The Great Dune is the largest of all of the numerous dunes in the sandblasted region spanning over two miles in diameter. Another feature of the Sahra'a is The Grand Canyons located almost directly on the Sahra'as only connection to land resulting in the region's isolation. The Grand Canyons stretch for miles with no passage in sight. None to this day have ever survived attempting to cross the canyons. Ruins of a lost civilization dot the deserts landscape of the Sahra'a by the hundreds and serve as housing for the many Afreet tribes of the region. Guilder has begun exploration of these ruins, noting their many similarities to ancient manuscripts from before the Exodus and the Destruction. People The Sahra'a Afreet are distant relatives of the goblins of Zargrim though there are many very distinct differences between the two cultures. Though the Sahra'a Afreet have a great curiosity they have abandoned much of the longing for invention that strongly impassions The Zargrim Goblins to take up roles more prevalent to there survival such as hunting and taming Lacertals and maintaining there ruins and vital underground wells. The Sahra'a Afreet also differ physically from their northern cousins, standing at around three feet tall, with slim, dark green bodies, large round heads filled with small pointed teeth, small red, yellow, or orange eyes, small noses, and large leathery bat like ears. The Sahra'a Afreet people consist of several tribes united several generations ago by the warchief Kil'Kit of the Gnashmaul tribe. He was the one who codified the terms of succession, stating that whoever kills the Gnashmaul chieftain in single combat gains the rank of chieftain and becomes the ruler of all the Sahra'a Afreet. If by some stroke of fate the chieftain dies of natural causes the great dune will be evacuated and used as an arena for a grand melee to the death to determine the new chieftain. It is believed that the reason the Afreet surrendered to Guilderene rule in the end is because of the Battle of the Dunes, where Guilderene Prince Inigo slew the Gnashmaul chieftain by single combat. It was due to this action on his part, when cornered in the Great Dunes, that led to the peaceful end to Sah'ra's inclusion in the Guilderene Expanse. Interestingly, this means that Sah'ra did not consider itself loyal to Humperdink, instead following Inigo's commands. Resources The Sahra'a has very little in the way of resources due to its lifeless harsh lands but it does have a substantial population of Lacertals. Lacertals are massive burrowing lizards with long, hooked, tongues filled with poison. They lie beneath the sand, waiting for the smell of prey, before bursting out to chase and devour the hapless creature... or person. The Afreet use Lacertals for food, despite the fact that their meat is poisonous to any who have not fed on them from birth. Their most common use is to be tamed and used as mounts. Lacertals, when captured or homebred, can be skinned for a ludicrous quantity of their sandy, flexible, and tough skin. This has led Guilderene trading princes to create a business of exporting leather. The Sahra'a Afreet have one other abundant resource available which they have invented and manufactured called Lacertal Milk. It is brewed from pure Lacertal venom and the mashed roots of the few indigenous plants of the region. In fact, the poison is so strong, that it cannot be placed into ordinary containers until a diluting agent is added. When it is highly diluted (a rare thing indeed in Sah'ra, without water) Lacertal Milk causes muscle stiffness and severe hallucinations. Large doses attack the nervous system, preventing its targets from moving, and inducing hysteria. There is little that the Sahra'a Afreet need more than fresh water. The desert has small pockets of water buried underground barley enough to sustain the Afreet population water and other beverages are the most valuable resource in the Sahra'a. Religion The Sahra'a Afreet are very superstitious believing that writing is an evil magic that will steal the words from there writer or reader. Anything perceived as magic is considered evil to the Afreet. The Afreet often worship fire and other natural occurrences. References http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17513250&postcount=6 Category:Regions Category:Former Capital Regions Category:Regions in the Empire of Dawn Category:Guilder Category:Regions of Telluris Category:Former Tellurian Capital Regions